The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1887-09-14
Five Gents.
The Z" Associated Charities.'s

Editor Mirror:
The personal tone of the reply to my
criticism of the ''SOlutiOn is Here edto-
rial, made by &C. II. RI decidedly invali-
dates any claim to courteous rejOinder: but
| pass that and with your kind indulgence.
insist upon the correctness of my statement
upon the point at issue. l said: ''Without
detracting from the good that societies do
whose object is the reform of penal insti-
tutions land the "Charities and Correc-
tions" does not aim directly at such) it must
be said there is enough sham in their pre-
TENSIONS" etc.
merely quote the opinions of some lead
ing men in the societies. and some outside
of them, competent to Judge. Neither this
nor any other state penitentiary can show
much practical benefit derived directly from
their influence. Some good has been indi-
rectly felt. 1 admit, but they are far from
having consummated any radical reforms in
state prisons. The overthrow of the con-
vicU camp system in Georgia is not at all a
work of the association referred to. That
iniQuity has been thriving for dozens of
years while the charities and corrections
and the prison reform association have been
holding conventions and talking reform
almost within earshot of the poor wretches
who were found the other day with burrows
in their backs as deep as your fingers.
| have before me speech which, for its
audacious falsehOOdS and cOld-blOoded logic.
surpasses anything in this line l have ever
seen. This speech was made by a prOmi-
nent member of the prison reform associa-
ton before the national prison congress
held at Atlanta in 1886, eXtOlling the tran
cendental perfection of the system in
vogue there as the sin qui non of penal sci
ence. The objects of the charities and
corrections, land / called attention to this in
cdentally only are more in the nature Of
what its title implieS-perfecting the man
agement of charitable institutions, luve-
nile institutes, aSylumS for the deaf. dumb
and blind and for idiots: and while l admit
there are some men in state prisons who
are eligible to treatment under the last clas--
ification, the association very properly holds
the number insufficient to justify taking
all cOnvictS, as body. under the care OF its
mOtherly apron. AS for the heavenly nee
tar which the w. G. II. u, and the Muir
ply clubs administer to the ''weak heart
and tempted SOUP on his passage from the
prison gate to the saloon and to the train.
know nothing about. l took some little
pains in forming my opinion of the other
matter referred to, but upon this new ele-
ment introduced into the discussion l en-
tirely defer to the wisdom OF my learned
''fellOw convict &C. H. R." [ have never
been nurtured upon that kind of pap. l
have, however. known lots of prayer-meet-
ing bummers and frauds who take it III for
all it's value during their short and frequent
sojourns outside, but confess never had
as much respect for these men as have for
men who. going out of prison, simply make
choice between stealing and working, and
abide by it. The point make is that after
man or boy has been bull-whanged around
such place as the Georgia ''penitentiary'
for several years his choice between the two
methods of getting OH in the world is not
calculated to rebound to the welfare of the
state. and l deferentially submit this to
sc. H. r." and other philanthropists in
side and out of prison. wardens in office,
and ex-wardens in Canada, and all others
whom it may concern. +. 2. l..
Sept. Z, 1887.